The Lie and Everything After
by munchkinjenny05
Summary: AU ONESHOT eventual Faberry- When Rachel lies to protect Kurt, she has no way of predicting the backlash. Now an outcast, Rachel finds comfort from an unlikely ally. Quinn Fabray, a girl who knows only too well what it feels like to fall from grace...


**Usual disclaimer: I do not own Glee, if I did I would keep Quinn, Rachel and Santana forever and never let anyone play with them lol. **

**Okay, so I watched "Easy A" again last night. Every time Emma Stone walked about in one of those corsets I pictured Rachel in that sexy black dress...**

**This story just appeared in my brain. Enjoy!**

It all started with a little white lie. Rachel couldn't help it, seeing Kurt crying like that, she saw the faces of her dads'. She wanted to tell him that things would get better, but she thought of all the ways her fathers' were continually ostracized by this town. The small-mindedness wasn't going to change anytime soon, no matter how many rainbow flags she waved. This was Lima, Ohio not San Francisco, the bigots were in the majority.

She smiled anyway, comforting him the only way she knew. "Don't worry Kurt, will your talent, you can go anywhere and when you are miles away from this place, you will look back and smile. It will have made you strong and Lima will be nothing but a dot on a map."

The boy didn't return her grin. He sighed. "Rachel, college is a year away, but it might as well be a million. Dreams are great, but they don't help when I'm wiping the blood of my shirt or the spit off my face. That is my reality right now and it sucks. I don't know how much longer I can do this, if it wasn't for Glee Club, I don't know what I'd do..."

Rachel frowned. She knew things were bad but she had no idea that Kurt was this desperate._ I have to help him, but how?_ It occurred to Rachel that she didn't know Kurt very well, aside from appearances. This was probably the first time they had ever really talked. They had been in Glee together since the beginning, but unlike the other musical arts kids, Kurt mostly kept to himself. They had tried to include him, make him feel like one of the gang, but he maintained distance. He didn't hang around after practice, eat with them at lunch or come to their parties. If not for the fact that, aside from Rachel, he was one of the best singers, the club may have written him off as a snob or a loner ages ago.

"Can't you tell someone? A teacher? It's their job to make sure that you are safe, surely they could help?" It was so obvious but Rachel didn't know what else to suggest.

"I tried that, they just told me to ignore it, keep my head down. When that didn't work, they said I needed to toughen up, stop being such an easy target."

"Kurt, that's awful, I'm so sorry."

The boy just shrugged as if to say _that's life_ and wiped his eyes. Rachel racked her brain; if nobody else would help him, then she would have to think of something. She liked the boy, he came alive in Glee, and when he sang she got chills. It would be wrong of him to lose his spark, he was special. An idea crossed her mind then, but she was hesitant, he would think it was stupid; surely something she had seen on TV would never work in the real world. _ Would it?_

"Okay, so this may sound absurd but hear me out. I've got a plan. The bullies wouldn't pick on you if they thought you were straight right? So what we can do is convince them that you are."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Genius." He muttered sarcastically. "You want _me_ to play it straight, they'd never believe that."

"They would if they had proof. There is a party next weekend, we are going to go together, and we will put on a show. Everyone is going to think that we had sex. They all know that I slept with Jesse last summer so they'll buy it." Rachel winced involuntarily as she said the boy's name. She tried not to think about what happened, but the betrayal still hurt a lot.

Kurt smiled. "You'd do that for me. Wow Rachel. We hardly know each other, why would you risk your reputation like that?"

_What reputation? _Rachel thought, sure she was the top of the pile in the Glee crowd, but otherwise she was invisible. Those who did notice her had done so only after the Jesse thing, and for all the wrong reasons. She had nothing to lose, it was only one lie. She couldn't remember how it had turned out in the movie she saw, but she wasn't worried, this wasn't Hollywood. Life didn't add scenes for dramatic effect, she could handle this. Nobody would care anyway, not about her side of the story. This was about Kurt.

"I've got two gay dads remember? I know how harsh this town can be."

By the time the night of the party rolled around, everything was all arranged. They had even done a run-through at Rachel's house the night before to make sure nothing could go wrong. After it was done, even Rachel was surprised how convincing it sounded. _I'm one hell of an actress. _Watching Kurt go, getting congratulated and slapped on the back, she felt happy. He was accepted. This is what he had wanted all along. What could be wrong with making his outstanding time at school bearable? _I've done a good thing._

These positive feelings lasted only as long as it took for the rumour mill to get started. By the time Rachel arrived at school on Monday, the events at the party had been twisted beyond all recognition. Rachel didn't care, so what if a few people stared at her in the halls or gossiped about her in the lunch room. She only began to see a downside to her plan when her best friends Mercedes and Tina approached her in the library. It was clear they believed her deception and she had no choice but to play along, she wanted to tell them, but she had promised Kurt. They weren't pleased at being last to know and even less happy about Rachel's new "Super slut" status.

"This isn't like you Rach, what's going on?" Tina demanded.

"I was drunk, so very drunk, and I wanted to have sex with someone. Kurt was there, it was fun. No big deal."

Mercedes frowned but she didn't challenge the explanation. "Why didn't you tell us? We had to hear it from Jacob. I mean seriously! We are you're best friends, we aren't gonna judge you. You could have said something."

"Sorry guys, it all happened so fast and then suddenly everyone knew."

Tina punched her on the arm playfully. "Next time you feel like letting your freak flag fly, by all means, go right ahead, just warn us okay?"

Mercedes piped up. "Oh and next time you gatecrash a cool party, we are so coming with."

Rachel laughed and nodded. _It won't be happening again._ She realised, in all her eagerness to implement the plan, she hadn't even taken any time to savour the fact that she was at a popular kid's party for the first time in her life. Her one foray into that world and she had totally underutilised it. _Typical._ Rachel Berry had been inside Finn Hudson's actual house, the star quarterback that she'd had a crush on since 5th grade. She was kicking herself. _Why didn't I stay longer? Maybe I could have talked to him._

School soon resumed its normal patterns for Rachel. She ignored the rumours; she was far too busy with Glee rehearsals and all her school work anyway. _It'll die down soon enough. _They would all find a new juicy piece of gossip to latch onto and Rachel would be forgotten. Fortunately, they did find new scandal to amuse them; unfortunately Rachel was still the subject. Somehow word got around that it wasn't just Kurt that she slept with; lots of boys were coming forward in vast numbers to claim that they had also got a piece of the action. Rachel's denials only seemed to make her look guiltier, so she said nothing. She knew the truth.

Regrettably, no-one else did, so Rachel had no choice but to bear the consequences of her new reputation. It wasn't just looks and name-calling anymore, boys openly propositioned her like she little more than a hooker and girls either slushied her or pushed her into lockers. She had only wanted to save Kurt but now she was suffering like he had been, maybe worse. He had only had to contend with a few Jocks, it seemed as though the whole school was reacting and there was no-one stepping up to defend her. She couldn't blame Kurt, he couldn't say anything without incriminating himself, and she wouldn't wish this level of harassment on anyone. What was worse was that she couldn't even talk to her dads' about it, not really. They wouldn't agree with what she had done, they would say it was pandering to the bullies for Kurt to act any different than he was. They would tell her that he should be out and proud like they were. This was her choice and rightly or wrongly she had to live with it.

_Don't give them the satisfaction_ she told herself over and over as she tried to stem the tears after a particularly cruel confrontation. She was trying to tough it out. It could be worse; she still had Glee to look forward to. Her friends didn't judge her, they had said so themselves. Glee had always been a highlight, but now it was shaping up to be the best part of her day. The choir room and the Auditorium were her sanctuaries, no-one could touch her there and if she had a bad day she could take it out on the piano keys or the acoustics.

"Rachel, can I talk to you for a moment?" This looked ominous. Rachel had gotten to the choir room early and she hadn't expected Mr Schue to be lying in wait. She didn't know how much of the gossip filtered down to the Teacher's Lounge, but it was unfeasible to expect him to know nothing. She could only hope to keep the damage to a minimum. He had always been her favourite teacher, he listened to the students, cared what they thought. Rachel looked up to him and she couldn't stand the notion that he might be disappointed in her or that he trusted anything he had heard.

Rachel took a seat and waited. "So, I've been hearing some rumours and I have to say I'm worried about you Rachel. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, honestly. These stories, you don't believe them do you?"

"Whether or not I believe them isn't the issue. Look Rachel, I've had complaints from parents. I fought for you but the principal feels that you need time to reassess your life. He thinks that you should leave Glee club, just for a while, until you get yourself back on track. He says that letting you stay would send out the message that we are rewarding this type of behaviour. I'm sorry."

"What? So you're kicking me out? Glee is the only good thing I have left! You can't do this!"

Rachel couldn't lose Glee. All her dreams and future aspirations were resting on doing well in competitions. She was Captain; it was her identity, and her ticket out of this place. "What they're saying, it's not true, and you can't punish me for something I haven't done."

The fellow club members began to filter in, stopping short when they heard the commotion. A ripple went through the group; it was obvious they knew what was going on. Rachel hated to do this, she was as good as outing Kurt, but she was desperate. Surely, knowing what Rachel was risking, he would have to come forward.

"Kurt, tell them!" She pleaded. "Please, you have to; they're going to kick me out."

Kurt had tears in his eyes as he turned his back. "I'm sorry Rachel, I really am."

"Mercedes, Tina, you believe me right? You know me, I'm not the kind of girl that everyone is saying I am."

Mercedes looked away but Tina met Rachel's gaze. Her mouth set in a firm line. "I don't know who you are anymore. I thought we were best friends but all these secrets and lies, you brought this on yourself. Just go."

Rachel began to cry then, harder than she had ever dared. She had lost everything, her reputation, her friends, Glee Club. She had nothing. She always thought that at least that her friends would stand by her. She would have never forsaken them, no matter what they'd done. _ Guess they weren't the people I thought they were._ She had nowhere to turn now; she couldn't leave school grounds, because she didn't want to give the principal any reason to suspend her. It was obvious he was looking for any excuse to get rid of her. _I haven't done anything wrong. _

She found her way to the bleachers almost on instinct. She had heard that this was where all the misfits hung out, kids who didn't belong anywhere else and that described her now. She didn't know what she was expecting to see, but it was unlike she pictured it. Instead of hoards of feral teenagers there was just one pink haired girl standing alone in the corner. She was singing softly, earphones in; unaware she was no longer by herself. Rachel felt awkward for interrupting what was obviously a private moment. She coughed loudly, feeling the need to announce her presence somehow.

The girl stopped and walked towards her. It was then that Rachel recognised the girl as Quinn Fabray, former head Cheerleader and all round popular girl. Not that the person standing in front of her bore any resemblance to the blonde Rachel remembered, it was only the eyes that gave her away. This girl was pale and too thin. Her clothes looked like they had been raided from a Goth scarecrow, and her make-up appeared to have been applied with the precise intent of intimidation. Every inch of the girl bristled in the wake of Rachel's entrance, she was irritated.

"Hi, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

To Rachel's surprise, Quinn smiled, the hostility vanishing. It was all a mask. "That's okay, sorry that I'm not much of a welcoming committee. We don't get many visitors down her and you just can't get the minions these days." Rachel grinned, getting the joke. She recalled the days when Quinn was swarmed by Cheerleaders and wannabees, a gaggle of girls who would follow her around and cater to her every whim.

"It's fine. I'm not in the mood for a party anyway."

"Yeah, I guess not. We hear the stories, even down here. You've been a busy girl."

Rachel blustered. _Was nowhere safe?_ Even under the bleachers she couldn't escape her false reputation. She held back the tears; she didn't want to cry in front of a girl who was little more than a stranger. She looked away, fiddling with her hair, a nervous habit.

"It's okay, I know it's not true, everything about you screams virgin."

In spite of the insult, it cheered Rachel to know that at least someone thought for themselves and didn't swallow every lie unquestioningly. "Actually, I'm not a virgin, I didn't sleep with half the school like they are suggesting, just one boy, but that was last summer and we were in love, or at least I thought so."

Quinn nodded. "Jesse right? Yeah I heard about that, he broke your heart, I always assumed that when he went around telling people he took your cherry, he was lying. It's a shame it's true, you were too good for him anyway."

Rachel was taken aback. _Quinn Fabray just paid me a compliment. _She had no clue that she was even on the other girl's radar, the Glee kids and the Cheerleaders and Jocks usually hated each other. Not that Quinn was a cheerleader anymore.

She blushed, eager to change the subject from her love life all of a sudden. "So what do you do down here?"

Quinn laughed. "Not much, usually just mope about the terrible turns our lives have taken. It's all angst all the time, a laugh a minute. This is the real high school experience, the one they don't show you. Of course, some of us have sworn revenge against those who have wrong us, but I don't have any vendettas. There is no-one to blame for my misfortune but myself."

"I'm sorry Quinn, it must have been hard." Rachel had struggled the last few days but it was nothing like what Quinn went through last year. Getting pregnant at 16, kicked out by your parents and giving the baby up for adoption definitely put her problems into perspective.

"It's alright, I won't be 17 forever, and I'm going to get out of this place." Rachel had never heard Quinn mention any desire to leave Lima, she had always seemed the type to stay, go to community college and get married young. A lot had changed.

"Me too, although I don't know how anymore, I've been kicked out of Glee so that's my college application ruined." She paused, her eyes scanning the headphones around Quinn's neck. "You should join, they're down a member."

"Yeah, I'm sure they'd welcome _me_ with open arms." She looked at Rachel her face earnest. "If you really want out, you'll find a way, Glee Club or not. You are amazing Rachel, I've heard you sing, you're talented, you could do it alone. It's not impossible."

Rachel smiled, trying not to dwell on the fact that Quinn had flattered her again. "Maybe we could leave town together." She felt stupid as soon as she said it, she didn't know this girl, but for some reason she felt comfortable with her. The idea just slipped out. It was ridiculous though; did she really expect to run off into the sunset with Quinn Fabray after just one afternoon?

Rachel wanted to slap herself but Quinn returned the grin, unfazed. "As long as you promise not to slow me down, then it's a date, I'll meet you here one year from now." Rachel wondered if she took anything seriously.

The rest of the day passed quickly. Rachel found she was content in Quinn's company; even the silences that passed between them weren't awkward. As her watch signalled that it was time to go home, Rachel found that she was intensely disappointed.

"Don't let the bastards' grid you down." Quinn whispered as she disappeared. Rachel watched her go, wishing she could follow.

In the short time they had spent together Quinn had seen Rachel as who she really was, it was more than she could say for her supposed friends. The girl had seen through the lies where nobody else sought to try. It made Rachel think of all the time she had wasted judging people on appearance or things that she had heard. _Who are we really? _Before today she would have never considered spending any time with a former cheerleader turned bad girl, she would have dismissed her entirely, writing her off like everybody else. That would have been a mistake. Quinn Fabray was a lot more than that.

"See you tomorrow!" Rachel called after the retreating figure. She found herself excited by the prospect.

She smiled. She had lost a lot today but she had gained something too. As much as she had been pleased by Quinn's true acceptance, she realised now that she had focused on all the wrong things. _Let them talk, their words mean nothing. _She had been so caught up in the superficial labels that defined her, Glee Club Captain, president of the school counsel, leader of the Drama Society, and so on. All these things were only one side of her. Rachel knew now, none of that was important, in five years, two years, six months, would it even matter? How she was perceived in high school had no bearing on the person she really was. _I am Rachel Berry and everything is going to be okay._


End file.
